Ōban Star-Racers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ōban Star-Racers
Genre	Action Adventure Science fantasy
Created by	Savin Yeatman-Eiffel
Starring	French: Gabrielle Jéru Thomas Guitard Jérôme Keen English: Chiara Zanni Sam Vincent Ron Halder Japanese: Junko Noda Keiichirou Satomi Unshou Ishizuka
Opening theme	Japan: Chance To Shine – AKINO U.S.: Never Say Never – After Midnight Project France: Envole-toi vers l'Infini
Ending theme	Waratteta – Sukoshi
Country of origin	France Japan
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26 (list of episodes)
Production
Editor(s)	Takeshi Seyama
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Sav! The World
Distributor	Buena Vista International Television
Release
Original network	France: France 3 Japan: Toon Disney Japan (Jetix)
Original release	5 June (2006-06-05) – 11 December 2006 (2006-12-11)

Ōban Star-Racers (オーバン・スターレーサーズ, Ōban Sutā Rēsāzu) is an exciting anime series from France and Japan. It was created by Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and his company, Sav! The World Productions.

The show started as a short film called Molly Star Racer. Later, it became a TV series with help from Jetix Europe. Much of the animation was done in Tokyo, Japan. Ōban Star-Racers was shown in over 100 countries, including Japan and the US. In the US, it aired on ABC Family and Jetix/Toon Disney from June to December 2006.

There might be a new series or movie coming out in the future!

The Great Race of Ōban: What's It About?

In the year 2082, Earth gets a special invitation. It's asked to join the Great Race of Ōban, a huge race across the galaxy. The winner of this race gets "The Ultimate Prize," which is said to grant any wish. This could even mean bringing someone back to life!

A mysterious being called the Avatar sends the invitation. The Avatar stops a war between Earth and a scary alien race called the Crogs. In return, Earth must send a team to the race.

Eva Wei, a 15-year-old student from Earth, runs away from her boarding school. She wants to find her father, Don Wei. He owns Wei Racing, a famous company. Don Wei hasn't visited Eva in years and doesn't seem to know who she is.

Eva can't tell him her real identity. So, she gets a job as a mechanic for his team, using the name "Molly." She picks the name from a poster in the hangar.

When the government orders Wei Racing to represent Earth at Ōban, Molly secretly goes with them. Their first race is tough, and their ship, the Whizzing Arrow, crashes. Their best pilot, Rick Thunderbolt, gets hurt and can't race anymore.

The gunner, Jordan Wilde, tries to pilot but isn't good at it. Molly secretly takes the ship and enters the next race herself. Don Wei is surprised but agrees that Molly is the only one who can replace Rick.

Molly's mother, a famous racer, died in a crash. Molly wants to win the race to bring her mother back and reunite her family.

Meet the Characters

Main Heroes and Their Journey

Eva "Molly" Wei

Eva is a smart 15-year-old girl. She loves fixing machines more than studying. After leaving her school, she finds her dad, Don Wei. He doesn't recognize her, so she pretends to be "Molly" and works as a mechanic.

Molly becomes the main pilot for the Earth Team after Rick gets hurt. She's too short for the ship's controls, so she changes them to work like her scooter. She's great at handling it!

Molly meets other racers and starts to like Prince Aikka. She learns that the Ultimate Prize can grant any wish, even bringing her dead mother back. This makes her even more determined to win.

Jordan C. Wilde

Jordan is a brave 17-year-old soldier. Don Wei hires him to be the gunner for the racing ship. He's a good shot but sometimes goes overboard. Jordan always protects his teammates.

He really dislikes the Crogs because they attacked his grandfather. Jordan doesn't like that Molly is friends with Prince Aikka, as Aikka's people are allied with the Crogs.

Jordan cares a lot about Molly. He even tells her he loves her and becomes the new Avatar to save her. He says goodbye to her with a kiss before staying on Ōban.

Don Wei

Don Wei is Eva's father and the boss of Wei Racing. He's usually serious and proud. He doesn't like female pilots and often hides his true feelings.

When Eva finds him, he doesn't know she's his daughter. His wife's death and being separated from Eva made him the way he is.

Later, Don finds out Molly is his daughter. He worries about her safety in the dangerous races. He even tries to make the team quit. He finally tells Molly he loves her before she leaves to become the Avatar. They return to Earth to be a family again.

Maya Wei

Maya is Eva's mother and Don's wife. She was one of Earth's best racers but died in a race ten years ago. Her death changed Don Wei a lot.

Eva believes Spirit, another racer, caused the crash. But it's later shown that Maya's ship exploded because of a fuel leak.

Eva wants to win the Great Race to bring Maya back. However, she learns the Ultimate Prize can't bring people back. She then finds out that Canaletto, the bad guy, actually caused her mother's crash.

Rick Thunderbolt

Rick is a top racer chosen to be the Earth Team's first pilot. He gets badly hurt in the first race and can't race again. He slowly accepts this, even though racing was his life.

Rick is calm and confident. He calls Molly "Little Mouse" and sees her potential as a pilot. He becomes Molly's coach.

He figures out Molly's true identity but keeps it a secret. Before returning to Earth, he tells Molly to tell her father who she is.

Koji

Koji is a shy and smart mechanic for the Earth Team. He's good with electronics. He avoids fights but often helps the team with his quick thinking.

He invented the "clustered turbine" hyperdrive for their new ship, the Whizzing Arrow III, making it super fast. After the race, he goes back to work at Miguel's Garage.

Stan

Stan is the other mechanic for the Earth Team. He's the opposite of Koji – direct and speaks his mind. He worries that Don Wei puts too much pressure on Molly.

Stan often thinks Don Wei is "heartless," but Koji usually disagrees. After the race, he also returns to Miguel's Garage.

Prince Aikka

Prince Aikka is a noble knight from Nourasia. He races on his giant flying beetle, G'dar. He's a rival to Molly but also a close friend. They both like each other.

Aikka and Molly promise not to use weapons against each other. But Jordan fires during a race, making Aikka feel betrayed.

Aikka still cares for Molly and protects her. He's one of the nine finalists on Ōban. He's forced by General Kross to fight the Earth Team because his family is held hostage.

In the end, he apologizes to Molly and Jordan, and they team up against Kross. He promises to show Molly his kingdom after he frees it.

Satis

Satis is a small, strange being who says he's the Avatar's helper. He appears to encourage Molly when she needs it. He also races against her as "Super Racer."

On Ōban, another racer says Satis was on all three planets at once, making him even more mysterious.

Before the final race, it's revealed that Satis is actually the Avatar! He won the Great Race 10,000 years ago. He's getting weaker as the race ends.

Molly refuses to become the Avatar, so Satis destroys the Pyramid of Power to stop Canaletto. Canaletto defeats him, and Satis disappears into lights.

Canaletto

Canaletto is the main bad guy, also known as "The Timeless One." He's a dark, scary being who wants to destroy all life.

He was the Avatar before Satis but refused to give up his power. The Great Beings imprisoned him. He wants to be the Avatar again.

Canaletto used Molly as a pawn. He caused her mother's death and Rick's injury so Molly would race. He knew Molly wouldn't want to be the Avatar, giving him time to escape and take back his power.

The Avatar

The Avatar is a mysterious and powerful being who organizes the Great Race of Ōban every 10,000 years. Racers believe the winner gets any wish.

But the truth is, the winner doesn't get a wish. They become the new Avatar, the guardian of the universe created by the Creators. The Creators gave up their immortality and set up the race to find a new guardian.

Alwas Cycle Racers

These are some of the racers Molly and her team faced in the first part of the competition on the planet Alwas.

Groor

Groor is a half-robot racer who runs on steam. He gets angry easily when he loses. He talks about himself in the third person and shouts his own name. His ship is tough and heavily armed.

Flint

Flint is a pilot from Alwas, the home planet of the first races. He's a bit arrogant, and the judges sometimes help him win because he's the local favorite. He and his gunner, Marcel, fly the Flying Fortress, which looks like a steam train.

Ceres

Ceres is the last member of an ancient race called the Mong. He looks like a living hieroglyphic. His ship uses unknown planetary magnetism to reflect attacks. He can also use a flute to create illusions.

Para-dice

Para-dice is a 12-year-old cat-like hacker. She uses tricks and sabotage to win. She controls her ship with a footpad like a dance game. She sees the race as just a game. She's the one who tells Molly the "true nature" of the Ultimate Prize.

Super Racer

This racer dresses like a superhero. He's actually Satis in disguise, testing the other racers. He's very confident and makes funny poses. His ship is unique, shaped like an upright ring with shark teeth painted on it.

Rush

Rush is a giant racer who looks like a Viking. Despite his size, he's very friendly. He saved Molly from drowning once. He wanted to use the Ultimate Prize to fix the damage the Crogs did to his home world. He lost a duel to Toros and was knocked out of the race.

Spirit

Spirit is a mysterious, shadowy being. Ten years ago, he raced against Molly's mother, Maya. Molly and her father thought Spirit killed Maya. But Spirit showed Molly what really happened: Maya's ship had a fuel leak. Spirit felt guilty about Maya's death.

Colonel Toros

Colonel Toros is a leader of the Crog Imperium, a scary alien race. He wants the Ultimate Prize to take over the galaxy. He also led the Crogs who destroyed Rush's home world. He was replaced by General Kross for the Ōban finals because he lost to the Earth Team.

Ōban Cycle Racers

These are the top racers who made it to the final stage of the Great Race on the planet Ōban.

Sul

Sul is a powerful "magician" with mind powers. He shows little emotion and doesn't use a regular ship. Instead, he flies inside glowing energy fields. He says he wants the Ultimate Prize because he has nothing else to wish for. Canaletto removes him from the race.

Ning and Skun

Ning and Skun are two proud and aggressive female creatures from a destroyed planet. Their ship is actually two ships that can combine into one powerful craft. They want the Ultimate Prize to reunite their people. They are very loyal to each other.

Lord Furter

Lord Furter is the captain of a space galleon. He's bad-tempered and self-centered. He's the smallest racer and always has his long tongue hanging out. He sees the Ultimate Prize as a treasure. His pirate ship-shaped racer has cannons.

General Kross

General Kross is a Crog leader. He replaces Toros as the Crog's pilot on Ōban because Toros lost to the Earth Team. Kross is even more intimidating than Toros. He pilots a stronger Crog ship with sharp blades and powerful weapons. He tries to eliminate all other pilots in the final race.

Ondai

Ondai is a robot who looks like a cylinder on three legs. He's very analytical and sarcastic. His ship can turn into a robot mech with energy swords and missiles. He wants the Ultimate Prize to become flesh and blood so he can feel things.

O

O is the tallest of the Ōban pilots. He looks like a large upside-down teardrop with one big eye. He pilots a strange, organic, jellyfish-like ship. He can also turn into a bigger, humanoid form. O was present when Satis first imprisoned Canaletto. He later helps Molly, Jordan, and Aikka fight Canaletto's guardians.

Muir

Muir is a large alien with a hard shell and pincers. It has telepathic tentacles. Muir flies in a giant, flying horseshoe crab-like ship. Muir wants to win the race to bring its mate back to life, who was killed by hunters. Muir chooses not to race in the final after learning the Avatar can't bring back the dead.

Earth Team Racing Ships

The Earth Team uses different versions of their "Whizzing Arrow" ship throughout the race.

Whizzing Arrow I

This was the first ship, built by Miguel, Stan, and Koji. Don Wei bought it for the race. It had strong engines but was unstable. Rick Thunderbolt piloted it in the first race. It crashed and was completely destroyed.

Whizzing Arrow II

This ship was similar to the Arrow I but more stable. It had a cool orange and red flame paint job, and Molly painted a rabbit on it. The Arrow II was the main ship for most of the races on Alwas. It got damaged many times but was always repaired. It was finally destroyed in a crash during a semifinal race.

Whizzing Arrow III

This is the newest and most advanced ship. Stan and Koji built it on Alwas with local mechanics. It's safer, more stable, and much faster than the previous ships. It has a new "clustered turbine" hyperdrive for amazing speed. It also has "Booster Drives" for extra bursts of speed, which are very helpful in tough races.

Music from the Show

The music for Ōban Star-Racers is very special. The opening and ending songs were created by Yoko Kanno, who is famous for her work on other anime like Cowboy Bebop. The background music was composed by Taku Iwasaki.

There's an official soundtrack available online with longer versions of the songs.

In the US, the opening song was changed to "Never Say Never" by After Midnight Project. The ending song was also changed at first, but now it uses the original Japanese song "Waratteta." This was one of the first times a Japanese song kept its original lyrics on Jetix USA.

Opening Songs

• "Chance To Shine" by AKINO (used in most countries)
• "Never Say Never" by After Midnight Project (used in the U.S.)
• "Envole toi vers l'infini" (Fly to Infinity) – a French version of "Chance To Shine"

Ending Songs

• "Waratteta" (meaning We Were Laughing) by Sukoshi (used internationally and in the U.S.)
• An instrumental version of "Chance To Shine" (used in Europe)

Awards and Recognition

Ōban Star-Racers and its pilot film have won some cool awards!

Molly Star-Racer (the pilot film)

• LAEF AWARD - London Animation and Effects Festival 2001
• Nominated for Best editing - Imagina Awards 2002

Oban Star-Racers (the TV series)

• Animeland Award of the Best non-Japanese Animation Series of 2006 – This was given by readers of France's biggest animation magazine.
• Grand Prix du Divertissement Eurojap Award – From Polymanga, one of Europe's largest anime events.
• Nominated for Best Animated Series – Children BAFTA AWARDS 2007 (BAFTA is like the UK's version of the OSCARS and Emmys!)

Merchandise and More

You can find lots of cool stuff related to Ōban Star-Racers!

An art book was released in France and later in English. It shows the world and characters of Ōban and has an interview with the creator. There's also a novel based on the series.

A collectible figure of Molly (8 inches tall) was released by Muttpop.

The series is available on DVD in different countries, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. The US DVD version has the full, uncut episodes.

There's also an official soundtrack album and collectible T-shirts. The full version of the ending song "Waratteta" is on Yoko Kanno's album, "Space Bio Charge."

A mobile phone game was made, and there was a plan for a Nintendo DS video game, but it was canceled.

What's Next for Ōban?

The creator of Ōban Star-Racers, Savin Yeatman-Eiffel, has mentioned that he is working on ideas for a possible sequel or spinoff series. He even shared some early drawings of Molly and Prince Aikka as young adults! So, there might be more adventures in the Ōban universe in the future.

See also

In Spanish: Ōban Star-Racers para niños